Structures



p 3, 1963 J. A. G. GERARD 3,102,609"

STRUCTURES Filed Sept. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V 62 W INVENTOR'.

|2Z JULES ANTOINE GHISLAIN GERARD BY United States Patent 3,102,609 STRUCTURES Jules Antoine Ghislain Gerard, Brussels, Belgium,

assignor to Central Farm Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., co-partners Filed Sept. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 684,747 Claims. ((31. 189-64) This invention relates to building structures and, more particularly, to prefabricated elements for constructing such building structures.

It is a primary object of the present invention to enable walls, buildings, frameworks, temporary forms, or other similar structures, to be quickly and easily constructed by the use of novel prefabricated structural members fitted together in a novel and expeditious manner.

Another object of the invention is to enable novel structural members to be connected together in a novel and expeditious manner by means of a cylindrical articulation.

A further object of the present invention is to afford novel prefabricated structural members each having complementary male and female parts on the opposite ends thereof, the parts being so constituted and arranged that the structural members may be connected together in a chain with the male and female parts on each member connected to complementary female and male parts, re spectively, of other members, in such a way as to wedge the successive structural members in relation to one another that their opposite faces may be selectively disposed either in the same plane or in the form of a dihedron of desired opening.

Another object of the present invention is to enable flat or curved walls, vaults, arches, floors, roofs, and the like, to be quickly and easily constructed in a novel and expeditious manner.

Another object of the invention is to enable the walls of dwellings, or other buildings, or the like, to be constructed in a novel and expeditious manner by the use of novel prefabricated structural elements connected together by cylindrical articulation.

Another object of the present invention is to enable frameworks to be quickly and easily constructed in a novel and expeditious manner.

An object ancillary to the foregoing is to enable beams or other structural elements of frames to be supported in a novel and expeditious manner by novel prefabricated structural elements which may be interlockingly supported by other prefabricated structural elements in a novel and expeditious manner.

A further object of the present invention is to afford novel prefabricated structural elements which may be interlockingly connected together in chains to constitute the openwork skeleton ribs of roofings of various sizes, shapes and dimensions.

Another object of the present invention is to afford novel structures having male and female parts at the opposite ends thereof and which parts are joined together by :an open framework.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and What I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

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In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a structural member embodying the principles of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a structure embodying structural members of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, with certain parts broken away, of a modified form of my invention, taken substantially along the line 44 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the form of my invention shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the form of my invention shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another modified form of my invention; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the form of my invention shown in FIG. 7.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, building blocks or structunal members It} embodying the principles of my invention are shown to illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention.

My novel building blocks or structural members 10 may be used to rapidly erect or construct walls, arches, floors, and temporary forms, or the like, .as will be discussed in greater detail presently.

Each of the building blocks 10 embodies a substantially rectangular-shaped elongated body member 12 having a substantially cylindrical-shaped male connecting member 14 projecting from one end thereof, and a substantially cylindrical-shaped recess 16 formed in the other end thereof, the recess 16 being substantially complementary in size and shape to the connecting member 1.4 to thereby afford a female connecting member as will be discussed in greater detail presently.

An abutment member 18 projects upwardly from the male connecting member 14 and has a fiat end face 19 which is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the length of the body member 12. The connecting member 14 is connected, on the other side, to a radially disposed flat surface 23 which is preferably set off two-hundred and seventy degrees in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, with respect to the surface 19. The fiat surface 23 is connected at its opposite side thereof from the connecting member 14 to an arcuate surface 25 on the body member 12, which latter surface is disposed in parallel spaced relation to the adjacent surface of the connecting member 14 to thereby define a downwardly opening arcuate-shaped groove or recess 27 projecting downwardly from the flat surface 23, as viewed in FIG. 1.

At the other side of the body member 12, the substantially cylindrical-shaped recess 16, whose diameter corresponds to that of the connecting member 14, is connected, at one side, to a flat surface 29, which forms the upper edge portion of that end of the body member 12, and is disposed substantially perpendicular to the length of the body member 12. The recess 16 is connected at its other side to a radially disposed flat surface 31 which is preferably set oif two-hundred and twenty-five degrees in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, to the surface 29. The surface 31 forms the outer end of an arcuate-shaped lip 33 which projects outwardly of the surface 29 and which is complementary in cross-sectional size and shape to recess 27.

The lip 33 on each of the building blocks 10 has a plurality of parallel teeth 35 extending transversely across the outer periphery thereof, FIGS. 1 and 2. A screw 37 is threadedly mounted in the other end of the body member 12 in such position that the narrower end or point thereof may be projected inwardly from the arcuate surface 25 toward the male connecting member 14.

In the use of my novel building blocks 10, they may be connected in end-to-end relation to each other by withdrawing the screw 37 into the body member 12, and then sliding the male connecting member 1 4 on one building block longitudinally into the recess 16 in another building block 10. During this movement of the male connecting member 14 into the recess 16, the lip 33 around the recess 16 is moved into the recess 25 outwardly of the connecting member 14. The two building blocks 10, which are thus connected together, may be rotated relative to each other around the longitudinal axes of male connecting member 14 between a position wherein the adjacent surfaces 19 and 29 are disposed in juxtaposition to each other, and a position wherein the adjacent surfaces 23 and 31 are disposed in juxtaposition to each other. After the blocks 10 have been rotated relative to each other into the desired adjusted position between the two aforementioned extreme positions, the screw 37 may be advanced into the body member 12 to thereby engage the point thereof with the teeth 35 on the lip 33 to thereby hold the thus assembled blocks 10 in such adjusted position.

An elongated slot 41 extends longitudinally through substantially the entire length of the body member 12, FIG. 1. The slot 41 affords means by which beams, rafters and other similar structural members may be connected to the building block 10. Thus, for example, two

beams 43 and 44 are shown connected to a building block 10 in FIG. I, with the beams 43 and 44 disposed on opposite sides of the body member 12, and with a bolt 46 extending through the beams 43 and 44 and the slot 41, the bolt 46 clamping the beams 43 and 44 in adjusted position to the body member 12.

My novel building blocks 10 are particularly well adapted for the construction of the skeletons of sloping roofs, arches, domes, and the like, although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that they may also be used for other purposes such as, for example, in the construction of scaffolding and studding in buildings, and the like.

In FIG. 2, two courses C1 and C2 of building blocks 10 are shown in oppositely disposed spaced relation to each other. Each of the courses C1 and C2 shown in FIG. 2 comprises three building blocks 10 with thetwo lowermost blocks 10 disposed substantially vertically, and the uppermost block 10 slanted inwardly toward the other course C2 or C1, respectively. A beam or rafter, which may take the form of two members 43 and 44, shown in FIG. 1, is shown extending between the two uppermost building blocks 10 in FIG. 2, in substantially horizontally extending relation, the ends of beam 48 being secured to the respective uppermost blocks 10 by the bolts 46.

It will be seen that construction such as shown in FIG. 2 may be readily used to afford rafters in a roof, scaffolding, or temporary supports for holding temporary flooring for workmen as they finish a roof, and the like.

Also, it will be noted that my novel building blocks "10 may be made either narrow or wide, and when they are made relatively narrow are particularly well adapted for use as the upright structural members in the walls and roof of greenhouses, and the like.

Also, it will be noted that my novel building blocks or structural members 10 may be mounted on the complementary ends of building blocks such as shown in my eopending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 684,748, filed September 18, 1957, now abandoned.

In the modified form of my invention shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, inclusive, parts which are the same as parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, are indicated by the same reference numerals, and parts which are similar but differ somewhat from parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, are indicated by the same reference numerals with the sufiix a added thereto.

In FIGS. 4 to 5, inclusive, a modified form of building block 1011 is shown which includes an elongated body member 12a having the male cylindrical-shaped connecting member 14, the abutment member :18, the fiat surfaces 19 and 23, the recess 25, and the screw 37 of the block 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, incluusive. The other end of the body member 12a is substantially channelshaped to afford a substantially U-shaped slot 41a therein.

=My novel block 10a is particularly well adapted for holding structural reinforcing members which are to be placed at the ridge of a framework in the form of a dome, or the like, and in FIGS. 4 and 5, the blocks 10a are illustrated as mounted on building blocks 10 at the ridge of such a framework to hold a polygonal rib 50 in horizontally disposed inward position relative to the building blocks 10. The rib 50' may be mounted in the slots 41a in the body members 12a of the blocks 10a, and a bolt 53 may be extended through portions 51 and 52 of the body member 12a, defining the opposite sides of the slots 41a, outwardly of the rib 50, and the portions 51 and 52 may be clamped together on the rib 50 by suitable means such as, a nut 55 on the bolt 53, to thereby securely hold the rib 50 in the body members 12a of the blocks 10a.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the blocks 1022 may also be mounted on the upper end portion of other types of building blocks, such as, for example, blocks of the form shown in my aforementioned copending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 684,748, without departing from the purview of my invention.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, a modified form of my invention is shown which is particularly well adapted for constructing open framework such as, for example, studdin g, scaffolding framework, framework for roofing, and the like.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, parts which are the same as parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, are indicated by the same reference numerals, and parts which are similar but differ somewhat from parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, are indicated by the same reference numerals with the sufiix b added thereto.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, two mounting blocks61 are shown disposed opposite respective ones of two other mounting blocks 62. Each of the mounting blocks 61 and 62 embodies a body member 12b, having an elongated slot 64, which is substantially T-shaped in cross section, extending through one side thereof.

On the opposite side thereof from the slot 64, each of the blocks 61 embodies the recess 16, the fiat surface 29, the lip 33, and the flat surface 31, of the building block 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive.

Similarly, each of the building blocks 6.2 embodies the male connecting member 14, the abutment member 38, the flat surfaces 19 and 23, the curved surface 25, and the recess 27 of the building blocks 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive.

The building blocks 61 and 62 may be mounted on the complementary ends of building blocks such as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, or as shown in my aforementioned copending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 684,748, with each pair of blocks 61 and 62 so disposed relative to each other that the slots 6 4 face toward each other. The pairs of building blocks 61 and 62 may be disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the slots 64, and timbers or beams 66, which are substantially complementary in shape to the enlarged head portions 64a of the slot :64, may be mounted in the head portion 64a of adjacent aligned blocks 61 and adjacent aligned blocks 62, respectively, FIGS. 7 and 8. Transverse beams or timbers 68 may be disposed in transversely extending relation to the beams 66 and may be secured thereto by suitable means such as nailing, or the like, any beams, such as the two end beams 68 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which extend between blocks 61 and 62 being of such cross-sectional size that they may extend through the reduced end portions 64b of the slots 64 into engagement with the beams 66 disposed at the opposite ends thereof.

It will be seen that with this construction, an open framework may be quickly and easily assembled, and that the pairs of parallel blocks 61 and 62 may be disposed :as close, or as far away from each other, as is desired in the particular construction being built.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that my novel invention enables walls, buildings, frameworks, temporary forms, floors, roofs, and the like, to be constructed in a novel and expeditious manner.

Also, it will be seen that I have ialforded a novel form of building block, or structural element, which is practical and efiicient in operation and may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a building structure, elongated structural members, connecting means on the ends of said structural members for rotatably connecting said structural members together, certain of said structural members being disposed in spaced relation to each other and having elongated slots therethrough, and frame means adjustably mounted in said slots and extending between and through said last mentioned structural members.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, and in which said connecting means comprise complementary male and female connecting members mounted on opposite ends of said structural members.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said slots are substantially U-shaped openings in respective ones of said certain structural members.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said slots are substantially T-shaped in cross-section and are disposed in ends of respective ones of said certain structural members, and in which said frame means comprise supporting means substantially complementary in shape to said slots.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1 and in which said slots are substantially T-shaped in transverse crosssection and are disposed in ends of respective ones of said certain structural members, and in which said frame means comprise elongated members mounted in said slots in longitudinal alignment therewith, and other elongated members mounted on and carried by said first mentioned elongated members and extending transversely thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,207 Hart Dec. 28, 1897 675,106 Oberle May 28, 1901 829,397 Gerber Aug. 28, 1906 1,326,753 Liptak Dec. 30, 1919 1,460,697 Bendlin July 3, 1923 1,666,284 Gilchrist Apr. 17, 1928 1,688,949 Wait Oct. 23, 1928 2,626,189 Brow-n Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 146,375 Sweden July 27, 1954 507,093 Belgium Nov. 30, 1951 

1. IN A BUILDING STRUCTURE, ELONGATED STRUCTURAL MEMBERS, CONNECTING MEANS ON THE ENDS OF SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS FOR ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS TOGETHER, CERTAIN OF SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING ELONGATED SLOTS THERETHROUGH, AND FRAME MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLOTS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN AND THROUGH SAID LAST MENTIONED STRUCTURAL MEMBERS. 